diff --git a/reconciler/reconciler.go b/reconciler/reconciler.go
index b93de76..eebf0c1 100644
--- a/reconciler/reconciler.go
+++ b/reconciler/reconciler.go
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ func (r *reconciler[Obj]) loop(ctx context.Context, health cell.Health) error {
 			errs = append(errs, err)
 		}
 
-		if fullReconciliation {
+		if fullReconciliation && r.Table.Initialized(txn) {
 			// Time to perform a full reconciliation. An incremental reconciliation
 			// has been performed prior to this, so the assumption is that everything
 			// is up to date (provided incremental reconciliation did not fail). We
diff --git a/reconciler/reconciler_test.go b/reconciler/reconciler_test.go
index 12bf36b..5ab8e19 100644
--- a/reconciler/reconciler_test.go
+++ b/reconciler/reconciler_test.go
@@ -194,6 +194,15 @@ func testReconciler(t *testing.T, batchOps bool) {
 			h.expectOp(opPrune(0))
 			h.expectHealthLevel(cell.StatusOK)
 
+			// Register a table initializer to prohibit pruning.
+			markInitialized := h.registerInitializer()
+
+			// With table not initialized, we should not see the prune.
+			h.insert(ID_1, NonFaulty, reconciler.StatusPending())
+			h.triggerFullReconciliation()
+			h.expectOp(opUpdate(ID_1))
+			markInitialized()
+
 			// Add few objects and wait until incremental reconciliation is done.
 			t.Log("Insert test objects")
 			h.insert(ID_1, NonFaulty, reconciler.StatusPending())
@@ -455,6 +464,17 @@ const (
 	NonFaulty = false
 )
 
+func (h testHelper) registerInitializer() func() {
+	wtxn := h.db.WriteTxn(h.tbl)
+	done := h.tbl.RegisterInitializer(wtxn)
+	wtxn.Commit()
+	return func() {
+		wtxn := h.db.WriteTxn(h.tbl)
+		done(wtxn)
+		wtxn.Commit()
+	}
+}
+
 func (h testHelper) insert(id uint64, faulty bool, status reconciler.Status) {
 	wtxn := h.db.WriteTxn(h.tbl)
 	_, _, err := h.tbl.Insert(wtxn, &testObject{
diff --git a/table.go b/table.go
index 39264fe..1d8906e 100644
--- a/table.go
+++ b/table.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package statedb
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
 
@@ -167,6 +168,27 @@ func (t *genTable[Obj]) ToTable() Table[Obj] {
 	return t
 }
 
+func (t *genTable[Obj]) Initialized(txn ReadTxn) bool {
+	return txn.getTxn().root[t.pos].initializers == 0
+}
+
+func (t *genTable[Obj]) RegisterInitializer(txn WriteTxn) func(WriteTxn) {
+	table := txn.getTxn().modifiedTables[t.pos]
+	if table != nil {
+		table.initializers++
+		return func(txn WriteTxn) {
+			var once sync.Once
+			once.Do(func() {
+				if table := txn.getTxn().modifiedTables[t.pos]; table != nil {
+					table.initializers--
+				}
+			})
+		}
+	} else {
+		return func(WriteTxn) {}
+	}
+}
+
 func (t *genTable[Obj]) Revision(txn ReadTxn) Revision {
 	return txn.getTxn().getRevision(t)
 }
diff --git a/types.go b/types.go
index 2225015..182d133 100644
--- a/types.go
+++ b/types.go
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ type Table[Obj any] interface {
 	// NumObjects returns the number of objects stored in the table.
 	NumObjects(ReadTxn) int
 
+	// Initialized returns true if the registered table initializers have
+	// completed.
+	Initialized(ReadTxn) bool
+
 	// Revision of the table. Constant for a read transaction, but
 	// increments in a write transaction on each Insert and Delete.
 	Revision(ReadTxn) Revision
@@ -79,6 +83,12 @@ type RWTable[Obj any] interface {
 	// write transaction return the fresh uncommitted modifications if any.
 	Table[Obj]
 
+	// RegisterInitializer adds an initializers to the table. Returns
+	// a function to mark the initializer done. Once all initializers are
+	// done, Table[*].Initialized() will return true.
+	// This should only be used before the application has started.
+	RegisterInitializer(WriteTxn) func(WriteTxn)
+
 	// ToTable returns the Table[Obj] interface. Useful with cell.Provide
 	// to avoid the anonymous function:
 	//
@@ -335,6 +345,7 @@ type tableEntry struct {
 	indexes        []indexEntry
 	deleteTrackers *iradix.Tree[deleteTracker]
 	revision       uint64
+	initializers   int // Number of table initializers pending
 }
 
 func (t *tableEntry) numObjects() int {